Depositing machine



June 4, 1940.

R. J. oswALT 2,202,917v

DEPOSITING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18', 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 @fM/g Ju 4,1940- R. J. oswALT y 2,202,917

DEPOSITING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 4,1940 PATENT OFFICE DEPO SITING MACHINE Robert J. Oswalt, Danville, Ill.,assigner to Fred W. Amend Co., Danville, Ill., a corporation of IllinoisApplication January 1s, 1940, serial No. 314,377

5 Claims.

My invention relates to. improvements in depositing machines for use inmaking candy, confections, and the like. It comprises an auxiliaryfeeding hopperwhich can be inserted into the usual feeding .hopper of adepositing machine, with detachable pipes being connected thereto andvto the lusual outlets from the main hopper whereby confectionofdifferent colors or kinds can be simultaneously deposited inpre-prepared molds.

I am aware that machines of this type have heretofore been used in theart, but they are unitary structures and adapted to do only oneparticular job. These depositing machines are quite expensive and inmany instances to have a machine for one special purpose is prohibitiveinsofar as the cost of the machine is concerned and adds materially tothe cost of the confection to be manufactured. With my improvedconstruction I am able to'use the standard machine for depositing candyor confection of one kind in single units, vand by adding my attachmentthereto the machine is converted so that multiple kinds of confectioncan be deposited simultaneously inthe same mold. When desired, theattachment is removed and the depositing machine utilized for the singlepurpose for which it was loriginally intended. In this manner thepurchase of additional machines, which of necessity must stand idle fora good portion of the time when not making special kinds of confection,lis unnecessary, and the investment expense of manufacture is materiallyreduced,` door space' is saved, additional labor costs are avoided, andthe expense of production of the particular product is also materiallyreduced. v

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of meanswhich can be easily and quickly attached to the hopper of an ordinarydepositing machine as well as removed therefrom, and the parts of whichare simple to manufacture and easy to clean in preparation for use andafter they have been used.

These and other objects of my invention will be more fully and betterunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a top plan View partially in section of the standard depositingmachinewith my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a rear View of the pump with plate attached, forming a partof the usual standard machine; f

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View of the machine with theauxiliaryI hopper attached;

Figure 4 is a top plan View of a depositing machine showing means forsupplying three diiferent kinds of confection to the depositing pump;and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the 5 apparatus illustratedin Figure 4.

Referring now specifically to the drawings and in which like referencecharact'ers refer to like parts throughout, a main hopper Ill is shownhaving a curved bottom II, end walls I2 and I3, lo and a fro-nt plate I4usually of cast material, the balance of the hopper being made of sheetmetal of any preferred form. 'Ihe plate I4 at the bottom thereof has apump casing l5 extending throughout the length of the hopper plate I4upon which cylinders IE are mounted, having pistons Il therein, thecombination acting as pumps for depositing the material in fluid form inpre-formed molds, and with a plate I8 at the rear side thereof havingopenings I9, I9 therein which are in register with outlet openings inthe front wall I4 of the hopper III. All of these parts are of Standardconstruction for depositing machines and are used for depositing fluidmaterial in the making of candy and various 25 confections inpredetermined quantities, usually in pre-formed starch molds which areadvanced on suitable carriers underneath the outlet spouts of the pumpsin step by step relation and in synchronism with the operation of thepumps, all of which is old and well-known in. the art and it is notdeemed necessary to here illustrate or describe.

The machines hereinabove described are adapted for making only one kindor one color of a particular candy or confection at a time. If it isdesired to make a two-color piece of confection or a confection composedof "two kinds of materials it has been necessary heretofore to use amachine with a plurality of discharge spouts 40 with the hopperseparated by partitions or the like to contain the materials ultimatelydeposited in the molds.

My improvement comprises an auxiliary hopper 20 of a size and shape tofit inside of the main hopper I0 while still allowing suicient space formaterial to be placed in the main hopper Il). The auxiliary hopper 20 isprovided with a handle 2| for convenient handling and with brackets 22,22 which engage the upper edge of the end Walls I2 and I3 of the mainhopper I0 so that the auxiliary hopper 20 is held suspended in the mainhopper Il). The hopper 20 is somewhat narrow at the bottom so that whenfilled or partially filled with material it will bev suspended in avertical direction in the main hopper I0, as shown particularly inFigure 3.

Outlets ports in spaced relation with each other are provided in theforward front Wall of the hopper 20, to which flexible tubes 23, 23 areconnected. These tubes 23 have metallic end members 2li, 2li withcollars 25, 25 spaced inward from the ends of the tubes a slightdistance and securely fastened to the tubes 23. Gaskets 26, 26 areprovided which contact against the outer front wall of the hopper 20 andthe inner side of the front wall I@ of the main hopper I0. The ends ofthese tubes 23 project through the ports in the auxiliary hopper 20 andthe ports in the front wall l of the main hopper, and into the pumpcasing l5. These tubes, being flexible, are also expansible and whenplaced in position are slightly compressed so that the gaskets 26 areheld rmly against these walls without danger of the material leakingtherefrom, and form tight openings from the outlet ports to the pump.The ports in the auxiliary hopper are preferably in register with eachalternate port in the row of outlet ports in the front wall I4 of thehopper Il), and in this manner one kindv of confection is supplied tothe pumps from the main hopper l!) while another kind is supplied fromthe auxiliary hopper 20.

In pre-forming the molds for the reception of the deposited materialmaking up the finished piece of candy or other confection, I prefer tomake the receiving recesses in the molds slightly elongated so that eachmold passes under the outlet spouts of two pumps. In this manner thematerial is deposited somewhat toward the end of each of the pre-formedreceiving recesses in the molds and flows outward toward the ends andinward toward the center with a blending of the material at the centerof the mold. Thus, if it is desired to form a confection, such as apiece of candy, with an orange color at one end and a lemon yellow atthe other, one kind of material is placed in the main hopper and theother placed in the auxiliary hopper and simultaneously deposited in themold, so that as it flows into the mold the final confection is a twocolored piece, the ends of which are distinct as far as the originalcolors are concerned, while there may be a slight blending along themiddle line of the piece of confection but insufficient to destroy theclear line of color distinction.

In Figures 4 and 5 is illustrated a modified form of my improvedinvention. An auxiliary hopper 2'! is provided of substantially the sameshape and contour as the hopper 20 heretofore described, but with amiddle wall 28 extending longitudinally thereof whereby the hopper 2T isdivided into compartments 29 and 38. The wall of the hopper 2 has aplurality of spaced outlet ports therein in alignment with pairs of thespaced ports in 'the front wall Hi of the main hopper, while eachalternate discharge port leading from the hopper 2 has a short tube 3|spanning the distance from the front wall of the hopper 2l' to thebottom of the partition 2B, so that material from the compartment 3Gflows through the short fixed tubes 3l and through the outlet tubes 23,23 to the pump frame l5. The material from the compartment 29 flowsdirectly into the outlet tubes 23 and is conveyed therethrough to thepump casing l5. Three compartments are thus provided, two in theauxiliary hopper 2 and one in the main hopper l0 so that three differentkinds of material or three different colored materials of the same kindand character can be placed in the three compartments of the hopper andsimultaneously deposited in the starch molds in the regular operation ofthe machine. In this fashion a three colored piece of confection can beeasily and quickly produced, such as red, white and blue for sale aroundthe Fourth of July, and other confections for other seasonable times ofthe year or for regular sale if so desired.

The operation and use of these auxiliary hoppers will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description, in that when it is desired toproduce a single confection made up of two materials or two differentcolored materials, the hopper illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 may beused and the materials kept separated until they are finally depositedin the molds as they pass underneath the discharge spouts of the pump.When a run of this material is finished the auxiliary hopper may beremoved and the machine continued in use for depositing a single kind orsingle color confection, as may be desired.

In the form illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 the operation is preciselythe same except that the hopper 2l is placed inside the main hopper l0,with the discharge spouts suitably connected to the outlet ports in themain hopper I0 in any way that may be desired, it only being necessaryto provide that the molds are sufficiently large to extend under atleast three of the discharge spouts from the pump.

The auxiliary hoppers and the connecting parts can be added to orremoved from a machine in a short space of time and easily kept cleanfor use any time that may be desired.

While I have described more or less precisely the details ofconstruction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto,as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts and thesubstitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination With a candy making machine, a main hopper having aplurality of spaced discharge ports at the bottom thereof, an auxiliaryhopper having a plurality of spaced discharge ports tted into andremovable from the main hopper, and a plurality of connections leadingfrom the ports in the auxiliary hopper to selected discharge ports inthe main hopper.

2. In combination with a candy making machine, a main hopper having aplurality of spaced discharge ports at the bottom thereof, an auxiliaryhopper having a plurality of spaced discharge ports removably supportedin the main hopper, and a plurality of connections leading from theports in the auxiliary hopper to selected discharge ports in the mainhopper.

3. In combination with a candy making machine, a main hopper having aplurality of discharge ports at the bottom thereof, a plurality of pumpscorresponding in number with said discharge ports, an auxiliary hopperhaving a plurality of discharge ports at the bottom thereof, andflexible connectors leading from the discharge ports in the auxiliaryhopper through selected discharge ports of the main hopper to the saidpumps.

4. In combination with a candy making machine, a main hopper having aplurality of discharge ports at the bottom thereof, a plurality of pumpscorresponding in number with said discharge ports, an auxiliary hopperhaving a plurality of discharge ports at the bottom thereof, flexibleconnectors leading from the discharge ports in the auxiliary hopperthrough selected discharge ports of the main hopper to the said pumps,and brackets supporting the said auxiliary hopper in the main hopper.

5. In combination with a candy making machine, a main hopper having aplurality of discharge ports at the bottom thereof, a plurality of pumpscorresponding in number with said discharge ports, .an auxiliary hopperhaving a plurality of compartments therein having a plurality ofdischarge ports at the bottom thereof from each compartment, andflexible connectors leading from the discharge ports in each of thecompartments through selected discharge ports of the main hopper intothe said pumps.

' ROBERT J. OSWAL'IE

